


New Year’s Eve

by Maaikek



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Drama, F/M, Fluff, Inspired by Once Upon a Time (TV), New Year's Eve, Oneshot, Party, Romance, Storybrooke (Once Upon a Time), Swanfire - Freeform, emma swan - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:48:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28474932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maaikek/pseuds/Maaikek
Summary: It's about to be New Year's Eve and the people of Storybrooke are organizing a party at Granny's Diner. Everyone is excited for it, except Emma. Can something, or a certain someone change her mind?
Relationships: Baelfire | Neal Cassidy/Emma Swan, Prince Charming | David Nolan/Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard
Kudos: 3





	New Year’s Eve

'Mom, can we go to the New Year's Eve party at Granny's tomorrow?' Henry puts down the book he was reading and looks at Emma intently.

Emma knows this question had to come up at some point, but against better judgment had hoped for it to pass. She had just about 'survived' the Christmas celebrations with their big dysfunctional family and the blonde isn't really up for another big party. She puts the tea towel back on the kitchen counter and puts the last plates in the cupboard before answering her son's question. 'I'm not sure Henry… I mean, we could also just stay here, eat a lot of snacks and watch the NYC ball drop on TV?' she asks hopeful, sending her son a hopeful smile.

The boy lifts a brow. 'Mom, you've got to be kidding me.'

Emma tries her best not to crack up by the serious tone of the twelve-year-old.

'This is the first year that we can celebrate New Year's Eve together with our family and friends. We can't just sit here while everyone else is having fun!'

Mary-Margaret comes down the stairs just when Henry tries to convince his mother to join the town's New Year's Eve celebrations. Quietly she makes her way to the kitchen and takes a mug from the cupboard.

Emma sends her mother a pleading look, but the older woman has chosen to ignore her. ''I get the message'', the blonde thinks grudgingly.

Seemingly unaffected by the discussion her daughter and grandson are having, Snow continues making her tea and takes the mug to the dining table where she opens the local newspaper.

Emma realizes that she has no choice but to give in. But Emma wouldn't be Emma - stubbornness being one of her main traits - if she's to give in completely. Therefore she comes up with a compromise. 'Right, what if we spent most of the evening in and head up to Granny's just before midnight? That way we can still see everyone and wish them all a Happy New Year?'

The eye-roll Henry's displaying was to be expected. 'But then we'll miss the best part. The music, the food, all the dancing…' He turns to his grandmother. 'Grams, what are your and Gramps plans for New Year's Eve?'

''Perfect kid, play it like this if you want to'', Emma thinks to herself, recognizing too much of herself in her son.

Snow looks up from the Storybrooke Chronicle she had been reading. 'Ehm, well I have to get the classroom ready for after the holidays, so I'll be spending the most time doing that I think.' Without Henry noticing, she winks at Emma.

Henry sighs dramatically. 'I mean, what are your guys' plans for the evening? Are you going to the party at Granny's?'

Snow considers the question for a few seconds. 'I thought we were, but if you guys stay here, we'll stay here,' she concludes, happy with the answer she just provided.

Emma sends her a grateful look.

'But we aren't staying here, are we Mom?' Henry tries again. 'We're going to Granny's.

Emma shakes her head and sits down next to her son on the sofa. 'Listen kid. If you want to go to Granny's with David and Mary-Margaret, please do. I don't want to keep you here if you're so keen on going to the party. It's just that I'm not one for New Year's Eve celebrations. Never have been and never will be.'

Henry shakes his head. 'Why not?' His voice is soft and hesitant.

The blonde looks at Mary-Margaret before refocusing again on her son. 'Because I'm always worried that celebrating the year just gone and a new year to begin, can only mean bad luck. So I rather take it easy on the 31st.'

Henry seems to sense his mother's seriousness about the topic, but doesn't fully apprehend the emotional impact it has on her.

Snow on the other hand does, and looks at her daughter worriedly. As per usual, her glance is skillfully being evaded by Emma.

'I didn't know you were superstitious like that?' Henry remarks, trying to lighten the mood.

Emma shrugs. 'I guess there's a lot you still don't know about me,' she smiles. 'All I want to say is that I don't want you to stay here because of me tomorrow if you don't want to. I don't mind if you go to the party with your grandparents.' She's already making plans in her mind what she'll do tomorrow night. Cooking dinner for one, a nice bottle of wine and some episodes of Friends will make for the ideal New Year's Eve. Enjoying solitude while waiting for it all to be over.

The phone rings and Mary-Margaret picks up. After having exchanged some niceties with whoever is on the other end of the line, she nods and turns to Henry. 'I'll ask him, hold on.' She puts her hand on the receiver. 'Henry, I've Jefferson on the phone. Grace has asked if you wanted to spend the afternoon at theirs? She got a new board game for Christmas she'd like to try it.'

Emma sends her son an encouraging smile. For the last few weeks her son and Grace spent quite some time together. She finds it adorable to see their innocent love blossom.

'Sure!' Henry exclaims and gets up to get his coat. 'I'll be back before dinner,' he announces and leaves the loft.

'Well, that went smoothly,' Snow laughs as she hangs up.

'Yep, he's smitten with the girl,' Emma laughs.

'Smitten?' Emma, you've spent too much time with us. It has changed your vocabulary,' her mother laughs while she pours herself another cup of tea. 'You want one?' she asks.

'Sure.'

A few minutes later Snow joins her daughter on the sofa with two mugs of steaming chamomile tea. 'Here you go.'

'Thanks,' Emma sighs and takes the mug from her mother.

The two enjoy their drinks in silence.

'Have you heard from Neal?'

The question seems to come out of nowhere and surprises the blonde. No, I haven't actually, not since we returned from Neverland.'

After their return with Hook's ship, Emma hadn't heard from Neal. She knows that he's staying at his father's, but she hasn't find the courage to visit him yet. Henry on the other hand spent a few days with his father already, and Emma notices that the two really start to bond. The stories Henry tells her about his visits are always filled with joy and happiness.

'He has asked for you, a few times now actually,' Snow states matter-of-factly.

Emma turns her head in her mother's direction and feels suddenly extremely conscious of herself. 'How…?' she isn't able to finish her question. There are so many emotions that run through her while thinking about Neal, but she isn't ready to confront herself with it. Snow is now making her and she doesn't how to react.

'He asks about you whenever David or I bring Henry over,' Mary-Margaret explains. 'He does so every time.'

'Well, he has my number and knows where I live, so he could call me or come over to ask me how I am,' Emma retorts rather defensively.

Snow glances her over. 'Or… you could take Henry next time and talk to him,' she suggests.

With a bang, Emma puts the mug back on the coffee table and snorts. 'Sure. Well, we'll see. Do you want any more tea?' Quickly she grabs both mugs from the table and walks over to the kitchen area.

'Emma…'

'Chamomile, or green tea this time?' she asks, busying herself with the task at hand. She wants this conversation to be over.

'Have a great time!' Emma exclaims as she gives Henry a bear hug.

'You sure you don't want to come with us?' David asks his daughter as he's helping Mary-Margaret putting her coat on.

'You can still change your mind!' Henry tries.

Emma laughs and shakes her head. 'I know kid, but I'm sure. You three go and have fun, I'm more than happy staying here watching some trash TV shows.'

David sends her a warm smile and opens the door for his wife and grandson. 'We'll call you at midnight,' he says.

Snow gently squeezes Emma's arm when brushing past her. 'Bye Emma.'

Her daughter sends her a significant smile. She's thankful for not having to explain herself again.

* * *

'Bye mom!' Henry waves enthusiastically before exiting the loft and closing the door behind him.

'Finally alone', she says to herself and turns on her heels to head to the kitchen. About half an hour later she takes a plate of her favorite food from the countertop to the seating area. The smell of cheese fills her nostrils and she uses a spoon to mix the melting cheese with the macaroni pasta even more. Then, she takes a bottle of red wine from the pantry and pours herself a glass. The food and wine taste better than she'd imagined and she sighs. What a year it had been. Too much had happened for a lifetime, let alone just for one year. She still can't believe she has a family now. A big, extended, and bizarre family, but a family! That's absolutely not what she had in mind growing up. She simply had believed that it wouldn't be in the cards for her, that she would grow old alone. Look at her now.

Shaking her head in disbelief, she picks up the remote and flicks through some channels. As to be expected, most TV channels show a dedicated New Year's Eve program, something she isn't exactly looking for. She disposes her empty plate in the sink and walks up the stairs to her room where she goes through a few DVDs she could watch.

A knock on the front door startles her. Who could that be at this hour, shouldn't everyone be at Granny's at this point? She quickly grabs her service pistol from the nightstand and makes her way to the front door to open it. 'Neal?' She lowers the gun she had been holding.

'Emma, hi,' says the man standing in the doorpost.

He looks well. Better actually than when she saw him last a few weeks prior. More energized, happier even than she remembers him. She can't hide her confusion at his sudden appearance on her doorstep. 'What are doing here? Shouldn't you be at Granny's with everyone else?'

He shrugs. 'That isn't really my thing. Ehm, can I come in? I brought wine!' he holds up a bottle of Merlot and casts her a sideways look.

Emma can't help but laugh at the insecure peace offering and raises her hands in defeat. 'Sure, come in. How did you know I was here?' she asks when Neal enters the loft.

'Henry told me,' he simply replies. 'He's a good kid. Thanks for letting me spend so much time with him.'

Of course, Henry told him. She should've known he would. 'He is. A good kid I mean. And, of course. I want you two to get to know each other. That's what Henry deserves. And you...' Avoiding Neal's probing look, she cuts her own phrase short and invites him to take a seat at the kitchen counter. The silence stretches between them while Emma hands Neal a glass of wine.

Neal is the first one to break the silence. 'So… how have you been?'

She straightens up and scrapes her throat. 'Fine. I'm fine. Just getting used to...' she points around her, 'all of this.'

'It must've been a huge adjustment when you finally found your family?' Neal wants to know. 'And then you didn't even have the time to get to know each other with everything that happened.'

'You can say that, alright,' Emma agrees. 'I'm not sure if I'm already fully used to it. There are still so many questions I have. About my parents, about my own past, about theirs...'

'You'll figure it out, I know you will,' Neal smiles.

'I guess so.' She takes a sip from her wine and looks down at her hands. 'And how have you been? Being with your father now and stuff…'

'Well, what can I say? The man's one interesting character,' Neal starts.

Emma chuckles and finally looks up at him. 'You don't say so.'

'Yeah I'm sure I don't have to tell you that. Still, I think he's changing. He's really trying his best. With the help of Belle of course, she's really good to him.'

Emma nods. She knows exactly what he means. 'I'm glad to hear that. You deserve it.'

'Em, I'm sorry. About everything.'

'You shouldn't, I get it, I…' Emma interjects but Neal holds up his hand to stop her.

'Please allow me Emma. What I did was wrong. I mean, it was right, in the end. Because you found your family and broke the curse. But it took too long, you had to sacrifice too much. I'm so sorry.'

Emma puts her hands on his. 'Turns out I should be grateful. I wouldn't never found my family if you didn't do what you did. It's okay Neal. It really is.' A warm and fuzzy feeling takes over and she pulls away, suddenly extremely conscious of the sensations that overwhelm her.

'Your parents and Henry are so proud of you Em. And so am I.'

She realizes that Neal probably knew more about her because of David, Mary-Margaret and Henry telling him about her and she isn't sure what to do with that information. A shrug is all she can muster. For years she thought that she didn't have any warm feelings left for Neal. There was only space for betrayal and disappointment. The thought of him had always filled her with a boiling sense of anger. That was until she had learned the truth. And while the truth still hurt, it had changed everything. She swallows back a lump in her throat. 'Neal, can you give me some more time?' she asks quietly. 'I want to talk about things, but need to find stuff out for myself first.'

'Yes, yes, of course.' His expression turns worried, but he smiles at her lovingly.

They both choose a few lighter topics to talk about, poor a few more glasses of wine, and time passes fast.

It seems that they still have a lot in common, and Emma can't help still having to laugh about all the - sometimes plainly stupid - jokes Neal makes. The tense feeling she had felt in her body at the beginning of the evening slowly disappears and makes room for a carefree, relaxed sensation. After finishing the bottle of wine, she looks at the clock behind them. 'It's midnight in half an hour. What do you say if we go and wish everyone a happy new year?' she asks.

He frows at her and sends her a cheeky smile. 'You sure?'

She is. The talk with Neal has made her realize that traditions are there to be broken. And the future is not necessarily all that scary. Sometimes, a new year really means a new beginning and changes for the better. She should stop being afraid of it and definitely stop running away from it. Instead, let's embrace it and doing so by being together with the people she loves. 'Yes, I'm sure,' she therefore nods.

* * *

'Emma! Neal!' Henry runs excitedly towards his parents who just enter Granny's Diner.

'Hey kid,' Emma laughs and she hugs the boy.

Neal puts an arm around his son's shoulder, touching Emma's arm in the process. 'Hey Henry.'

'You came!'

Emma laughs when she hears her son's high-pitched voice. 'Yep, we're here,' she states the obvious.

'Emma!'

From the back of the room, David and Mary-Margaret approach.

The blonde pulls away from her son and envelop both of her parents in a warm hug.

'I'm so glad you decided to come,' Mary-Margaret says.

'Me too,' her daughter admits. She can't help her eyes filling with moist. 'Me too.'

There are more people to welcome Snowwhite and Prince Charming's daughter, as well as Neal to the New Year's Eve party and the two go around saying hi to everyone. Emma smiles when she notices Henry and Grace slow-dancing to a song on the dancefloor.

Granny's diner is beautifully decorated for the occasion. Golden and silver balloons and banners are put up around the place and a disco ball and tons of lights are creating a festive ambiance. Modern-day music is playing loudly and there's even a photo booth set up in the corner where Belle and Ruby are taking silly pictures with the help of New Year's Eve photo props.

'A very modern-world party, don't you think?' Emma asks Neal who nods in agreement.

'I might have advised Granny and Ruby a little bit on the music and decorations,' he laughs to which Emma raises a brow.

Had he really not planning to go to the party or did he only say that, because he wanted to be with her that night? she wonders.

'10, 9, 8, 7…' Suddenly everyone in the diner starts to count down. Quickly Emma finds her parents and Henry. She wants to start the new year with them, her family.

'4, 3, 2, 1...HAPPY NEW YEAR!' everyone screams and shouts in excitement.

Just when Emma is about to turn around to wish her family a happy new year, she feels the soft lips of Neal crashing onto hers. A burning feeling goes through her, from her lips all the way through her body. She feels like she's floating on air. Lifted up by the spirits that take her to higher grounds. Slowly she opens her mouth and invites Neal to deepen the kiss as she closes her eyes, taking in the moment as it comes.

Before she fully realizes it, it's over and Neal pulls back looking deep into her eyes. 'Happy New Year. This is going to be your year, Emma Swan.'

'Happy New Year,' she says hoarsely, not taking her eyes off him. If what happened just now was a taste of what the new year will bring, it's going to be her year indeed. And she's ready. Bring it on.

THE END.


End file.
